Poole, Greater London
Emma Styles Photography was born from a desire to capture memories. Specialising in portraiture photography, I work closely with each client to bring about their vision, working easily to tight deadlines, creative ambitions, and personalised budgets for each project.
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What’s the secret to taking a great photograph?
It's quite hard to explain the secret to taking a great photograph, because to take a really great photo, it goes beyond your technical knowledge. It's more than simply having high-quality equipment, and knowing how to use it. It's about feeling, and having a good eye. I personally feel that some of the best images that I have seen, not just in my own portfolio, are more natural, captured spontaneously, with a 'rawness' to them, and little to no editing, rather than images which took hours, if not days of planning, preparation, creating and post-production. The best images are created with feeling, as a means to channel emotions and thoughts. When photographing people, you have to connect with your subject rather than simply 'document' them via the camera. When creating product photography, you can tell whether you care about the company you're working for, and the product you're photographing, or not. It shows. That, to me, is the difference between a good and a great photograph.
What questions might you ask a client when starting a new project?
First of all, many questions clearly depend on the project at hand, especially as I work across a range of genres.
For example, if I am working on a portraiture project, I'll try to find out as much about the vision of my clients as possible, their personal tastes, from whether they want candid or more formal images to whether during post-production they prefer warmer or cooler tones.
If photographing product/lifestyle photography, it's important to establish what sort of 'feel' that the client is looking for to best reflect their company - Cosy? Sleek? Minimalist? Clean?
Then, depending on where the images will be used, there are the practical questions - do I need to shoot for landscape/portrait/square formats? I try to see a location to best understand the lighting and space I will be working with, or to meet my subjects to get a feel for their personalities, to try and reflect those personalities during our photo shoots.
What do you love most about your job?
I love the ability to earn money from a childhood hobby. I've been passionate about photography from a young age, and so to be able to call it my job is just amazing. I was told from the moment I said I wanted this to be my job two things: one, that I'd need a 9-5 because earning as a photographer is simply too hard, and two, that I needed to choose a specialty and stick to it. Choose to photograph people, places or things. That said, in order to survive financially, that specialty would need some flexibility - if I'm a portrait photographer, I also need to embrace weddings, for example. Instead, I photograph what interests me - everything. People interest me, places interest me, things interest me. And I'm surviving. I think the secret is passion. As long as passion radiates out from your portfolio, you don't have to conform to simply one thing.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I don't think 'inspired' is quite the right word. There wasn't some lightbulb moment of 'this is what I want to do'. The photographers who inspire me didn't inspire me to start my business in the first place. They inspire me to try new things and to push myself, but I always knew that this was what I wanted to do in my life. Since I was a child. I'm just doing what feels right.
Why should our clients choose you?
Because I'm passionate. I love what I do, and I work hard to ensure that every single one of my clients goes home happy with the resulting images. I like to try and give people exactly what they're looking for, not just in a literal sense of 'I need headshots' or 'I need this product photographing', but the feelings that they're trying to portray. I try to make sure that personalities show. Also, I travel regularly, I'm based between London and Paris, and regularly travel to my home county of Staffordshire, so I am happy to work anywhere!
Fashion Photography
This is where the passion began. Emma is forever seeking to work with both emerging and established brands, models and publications.
Discounts are available for fashion students.*
Model Portfolio
-First time models
-Headshots
-Refreshed portfolio
-Studio or Location - or both
Commercial Photography
Editorial Photography
Wedding Photography
To document your special day and all of those wonderful memories.
-Second shooter available
-Post-production included
-Album design available
-Various packages available to include the morning's prep, the ceremony, and the reception.
Engagements/Couples
Emma will help you to share your special news or to simply capture your relationship with a beautifully personal photo shoot on a location of your choice. Every couple is different, and Emma will work closely with you to help achieve perfection.
Photography and Studio Assisting
Fellow photographers? Emma is an experienced assistant both in a studio environment or working directly as a photographer's assistant both in studio and on location. Her technical knowledge includes Profoto, Bowens, Dedolight, Arri and Lastolite.